Defense Leads Aggies to Win Over SSU

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Timely kills led and a strong defensive
performance by Devonte' Reese led the North Carolina A&T volleyball team to
its second win of the season, a four-set victory (25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22)
over Savannah State Friday night at Wilcox Wiley Gymnasium.

Sophomore Jeana Daniels continued to establish herself as
one of the top offensive players in the MEAC as she finished with a career-best
22 kills on a .333 attack percentage. Junior Andrea Evans finished with nine
kills and 10 digs, while Reese had a career-high 12 digs.

The Aggies were on the brink of having to go five sets
against the Tigers (0-26, 0-9) as Chikia Jones slammed a kill to the floor to
pull the Tigers to within at 21-20. Reese returned the serve back to the Aggies
with a kill off of a set by Daniels.

Evans and Reese kept the momentum with the Aggies as they
blocked a Jones attack for a three-point N.C. A&T advantage. Evans gave the
Aggies a commanding four-point lead with another effective attack. The Tigers
scored the next two points on a Jennifer Lowe kill and an Aggies attack error.
But Evans secured the win for N.C. A&T (2-26, 2-7).

"We struggled with our offense but came up with some big
kills at the right time," said N.C. A&T head coach Hal Clifton. "We were
better defensively, which helped us go on several runs."

North Carolina A&T played without its top defensive
player in Bridget McCaskill. But the Aggies were still able to hold the Tigers
to a .121 attack percentage. The Aggies trailed 23-22 in the third set before
Daniels scored two of the final three points in the set to give the Aggies a
2-1 lead.

N.C. A&T struggled in the second set with just a -.056
attack percentage. Murphye Williams, who had a career-best seven kills, led the
Aggies to the opening set victory thanks to her three kills. The Aggies' season
concludes Sunday when they travel to Orangeburg, S.C., to play defending MEAC
Champion S.C. State at 3 p.m.